ACTS 9:1-19a
THE LIVING SAVIOR RAISES UP UNLIKELY SAINTS.
M: Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Cong: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
In the name + of Jesus.
One of the great lies that the devil says and which we are very quick to believe is that some people are saved because of the kind of people they are. We might think that we are destined for heaven because we have behaved better or studied harder or done more than others—or even because we were confirmed. It is easy to believe because we like to think that we are better, smarter, and more diligent than others. And we can find examples of bad people to make our case. But it is a lie.
Every service, we make a confession. We make that confession because it is true. But it is also a reminder so that we don't buy into the devil's lie. Our confession is this: “I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.” Your confession does not concern itself with anyone but you. It does not consider if you are better or worse than anyone else. It just acknowledges that you are a sinner. It is what you are. It is what you have done. And it is why you deserve God's punishment. God did not choose you because you are better, smarter, or more diligent. God chose you in spite of your sins—not because of who you are, but because of who he is. The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
Perhaps the most unlikeliest of saints was the man from Tarsus named Saul. He was very religious. He was moral and decent, but he grew to hate people whom he thought were corrupting his religion. Saul went throughout Jerusalem, overseeing the arrest and even the execution of those who confessed that Jesus is Lord. His bloodthirst led him out of Jerusalem to foreign lands. But as he approached Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:3-6)
When the light from heaven shone around Saul, he knew that it was the true God, Yahweh. He said, “Who are you, Lord?” Saul was convinced that he was doing the Lord's work, defending him. So, I can't imagine the shock that went right to Saul's heart when he heard the answer: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:5) Jesus is the Lord—true God from true God, of one substance with the Father. Through him all things were made. (Nicene Creed) You would think that if Jesus took the time and effort to appear to Saul, it would be to slay him for his threats and murder. Rather than a light from heaven, why not a lightning bolt to strike him down? Yet, Jesus loved Saul. He called him into his kingdom. Instead of striking down a sinner in his wrath, the Lord raised up a saint in his mercy. The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
The Bible has no problem showing sinners in all of their ugliness and evil. The Bible doesn't record events to make us think that the saints of the past earned their status. All were sinners. All needed God's grace. All proved it. If we call anyone a “hero of faith,” it is because God made them what they were. There is only one hero in the Bible, and he does not set out to slaughter people—not even the likes of Saul. He came to save. He came to rescue sinners from the torment, wrath, and death that they deserve. The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
Your wicked thoughts, words, and actions are not put in print for all the world to read, and I am sure you are grateful for that. It is painful enough when people tell stories about you. But when God shines the light of his word on you, you are an open book before him. He knows everything—from the behavior that everyone saw to your dirty little secrets. If this alarms you and disturbs you, it should. This is why we confess as we do: “For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity.”
But that is not the only confession we make each week. We also confess how the Lord loves and saves sinners. Your hero, Jesus, came into the world to save you from wrath and punishment. He slew your enemies by being slain for you. Your enemies are not flesh and blood people. Saul was a man that people feared because of he was breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. (Acts 9:1) Ananias sure feared him: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” (Acts 9:13-14) Ananias had good reason to believe: “Saul is coming to kill me.” But even if he had, Saul could not send Ananias to hell. That comes from sin, death, and the devil. These are the enemies Jesus overcomes for us. It is from these that sinners are rescued and made saints.
Brady, you not only confess this, you committed it to memory: “He has redeemed me a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent sufferings and death.” (2nd Article of the Apostles' Creed, Luther's Small Catechism) The Lord Jesus has rescued you from your enemies. He gave himself in exchange for you—the Son of God on behalf of all mankind. He let sin condemn him. He let the grave take him. He let the devil have his way with him. But Jesus rose from the dead. The payment for your sins, whether they are well known or secret, has been paid in full. You are forgiven. Death has lost its grip. The grave may hold you for a while, but it must give you back. Just as Jesus rose from the dead, so he will come again to raise you up. For, you belong to Jesus, not to the grave. The devil has no claim on you. You are sons and daughters of the Most High King. How unlikely that God would spare rebels. But he does more! He gives you a place in his kingdom. The living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
But now, beware. The devil is not going to concede defeat. He wants you back, and he still lies to you. Think of how devil would have tormented Saul: “Look how much violence, hatred, and death you are responsible for. There is no way you can set foot in heaven.” Or he could have seduced him this way, “After your conversion, look how much good you have done for Jesus. That should win you all the points you need for salvation. Trust in your goodness, Saul; you've earned it!” But it is all lies. The devil will point you to anywhere but to Jesus. Only Jesus raises up saints—even unlikely saints, and his is the only voice that matters. Brady, notice that I never once had you memorize anything the devil says. He lies and brings a cursed death. Only Jesus has the words of eternal life. Keep listening to him.
When Saul came to Damascus, he sat in a house by himself—neither eating nor drinking. He devoted his time to prayer. No matter how sorry Saul was for his past, he did not find comfort in his self-imposed time of repentance. So, the Lord sent him a pastor. The Lord called Ananias to go and restore his sight. More than that, Ananias was sent to absolve Saul of his guilt and wash away his sins in baptism. Through baptism, Saul was united to Jesus and received all the benefits of his saving work. Through baptism, our living Savior raised up an unlikely saint.
And Jesus did not tell Saul, “Just stay out of the way, and try not to mess anything up.” Instead, the Lord called Saul to go and preach about the same grace he had been shown. Saul knew that he had sinned against Jesus and deserved punishment from him. But Jesus did not treat him that way. Instead, Saul was commissioned to go and tell other sinners what Jesus had done for them, that Jesus pours out grace rather than wrath, that Jesus desires to save all people, even those whom we would consider unlikely for salvation. For, the living Savior raises up unlikely saints.
You and I are not apostles. We won't do miracles or travel the world to establish new churches. But we all know what God's grace is and how it has saved us. While we confess our sins week after week, we also hear Jesus' forgiveness applied to us. There is no interrogation about whether our sins were too many or too wicked. There is the proclamation that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sins. And just as Jesus has saved us, so we who bear his name get to confess and profess how Jesus is gracious, forgives sinners, delivers from death, and opens heaven to all who believe in him. We never know who God will bring into his kingdom through our confession. It may be the unlikeliest of people. But we do know that our Lord likes to save sinners. He has proved it; for, he has saved us.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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